HEADED FOR GOLD: The U.S.-1 team piloted by Steven Holcomb makes a turn during a four-man bobsled heat. The team, which also includes Steve Mesler, Curtis Tomasevicz and Justin Olsen, went on to win the gold medal.(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

PILE UP: Apolo Ohno skates into mayhem on the last turn of the men's 500-meter short track speedskating final at Pacific Coliseum. Ohno crossed the finish line second, but was disqualified for pushing Canada's Francois-Louis Tremblay, causing him to slide into the wall. Korean skater Sung Si-Bak was leading, but tripped on his own.(Robert Gauthier /Los Angeles Times)

GET SET, GO: Pilot Mike Kohn and his U.S. teammates break from the start line during their first run in the four-man bobsled competition on Friday at Whistler Sliding Center.(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

UP CLOSE: Forward Ryan Malone, right, of the United States braces for a check from Finland's Tuomo Ruutu during the Ice Hockey semifinal at Canada Hockey Place. The U.S. raced to a 6-1 victory and a spot in the gold-medal game against Canada.

MISTY MOUNTAIN: Canada's Steve Omischl ski's down hill during introductions before the start of the Men's Aerials in the 2010 Vanoucouver Olympics.(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

PUSH: Skaters line up to push each other midway through the women's Short Track Speed Skating 3000 meter relay at Pacific Coliseum.(Robert Gauthier /Los Angeles Times)

SLIP: Speed skater Jordan Malone of the United State slips from second place on the final turn as Korea's Yoon-Gy Kwak goes on to win and Belgian's Pieter Gysel moves into third in a 500 meter Short Track Speed Skating qualifying heat at Pacific Coliseum.(Robert Gauthier /Los Angeles Times)

FLIPPED: Bobby Ryan of the United States is flipped by a check from Switzerland's Mathias Seger in a quarterfinal playoff game at Canada Hockey Place.(Robert Gauthier /Los Angeles Times)

WINTER BACKDROP: Sarah Schleper of the United States rounds a gate during the first run of the women's giant slalom at Whistler in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.(Wally Skalij /Los Angeles Times)

DOWN AND OUT: Lindsey Von of the United States crashes into a fence during the first run of the women's giant slalom at Whistler in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.(Wally SKalij /Los Angeles Times)

SILVER FINISH: Friends and relatives exult with Todd Lodwick, who helped secure the U.S.' first medal -- a silver -- in the team Nordic combined Tuesday.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

TEARS: Canada's Joannie Rochette, whose mother died of a heart attack last week, fights back tears after finishing her short program during the women's figure skating competition Tuesday night at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

NATIONAL SUPPORT: U.S. and Canadian flags were abundant as the two countries faced off in the men's curling round-robin play on Monday at the Vancouver Olympic Center.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

TENSION: Team USA Captain Jamie Langenbrunner is at the center of a scrum against Canadians Shea Weber, left, and Brendan Morrow as the second period winds down Sunday at Canada Hockey Place. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

DEFENSE: Tomas Fleischmann of the Czech Republic has his shot turned away by Russian goalie Evgeni Nabokov in the first period of a men's hockey preliminary round game at Canada Hockey Place.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

SLIDING TO SILVER: Hannah Teter of the United States won the silver medal in the women's halfpipe competition Thursday. The gold medal went to Australia's Torah Bright, who fell on her first run, but recovered with a spectacular second run.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

CELEBRATION: Shaun White and Scott Lago, left to right at center, celebrate with friends and family after winning medals in the men's halfpipe snowboard final at Cypress Mountain.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

RARE AIR: Shaun White spins out of his last jump as he wins the gold medal in the men's halfpipe final.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

IN FLIGHT: Bode Miller of the U.S. became the most decorated Alpine skier in U.S. history when he won the bronze medal in the men's downhill on Monday in Vancouver.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

AN AIR ABOUT HIM: Bryon Wilson of the United States twists into his second maneuver on his way to a bronze medal in the men's moguls at Cypress Mountain outside Vancouver.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

NOT A BANNER MOMENT: Patrick Deneen of the United States crashes into a flag in the men's moguls final at Cypress Mountain outside Vancouver.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

SKIING TILL THEY DROP: Competitors in the nordic combined collapse at the finish line of the 10-kilometer cross-country race.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

AIRBORNE: Johnny Spillane of the United States takes flight in the ski jumping event during the nordic combined competition. Spillane won the silver medal.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

FANS: U.S. speed skating fans wave to Apolo Anton Ohno as he celebrates winning the silver medal in the men's 1500 speedskating competition. Ohno has now won six medals in Winter Olympic competition, tying him with long-track speedskater Bonnie Blair for most by an American.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

CLOSE CALL: Apolo Anton Ohno tangles with Korea's Sung Si-Bak midway through the men's 1500 final. Ohno took the silver medal in the men's 1,500 meters and teammate J.R. Celski captured the bronze when two competitors crashed on the final turn.(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

TRAGEDY: A woman looks at a memorial for Nodar Kumaritashvili. On a morning training run, Kumaritashvili, 21, of the Republic of Georgia, lost control of his sled at about 80 mph as he came out of the final curve and slammed into an unpadded roof support post.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

MEMORIAL IN WHISTLER VILLAGE: Just hours before the caldron was lighted to mark the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21 died during a practice run on the world's fastest luge track.(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)